larch

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Framed by Gold

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The showstealer for fall in the PNW northwest is undoubtedly the golden larches. That is probably why I try to squeeze one trip every calendar year. This year was the only exception. Between travel, work, and recovery from a knee surgery, backpacking to the higher slopes of the Cascades during the one weekend of peak color was just out of the question.

Thankfully I had plenty of archival content from prior years that I could utilize for my 2025 calendar, which I feel would be incomplete without a landscape featuring larches. This specific photo caught my eye due to the elegant framing provided by the backlit larches, which, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to capture fall foliage. See this large in my 2025 calendar, available for purchase at this link.

Okanogan National Forest
WA USA

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Larch Madness

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I missed out the Larch Madness of 2024, for the reason that I was in a completely different continent at the peak of the larch season. Larch madness, so named for the precise and synchronous change of color by the Western larches, whose needles take on a amber hue as the temperatures start to dip in early October. Walking in a larch forest at this time is a surreal experience, with backlit trees exhibiting a golden hue. And since they grow in large clusters, the color is very pronounced both up close and from a distance.

This is one such larch grove at one of my favorite destinations for the larches. I happened to arrive at the right time to capture beautiful reflections at this golden lake in the eastern eaves of the Cascade range.

Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA

Reflections of fall

The surest sign of fall across north-western US and most of Canada is the larches changing to a golden yellow in unison. Out in the PNW, this synchronized phenomenon happens like clockwork across all the major larch forests in early October. And for the most part, these forests lay hidden in the higher altitudes and require a bit of effort to get up and see the golden palettes.

And even though the show is brief, I savor every moment of hiking under a canopy of vibrant orange larch forest.

You can purchase my 2024 calendar at this link. And as before, all proceeds get donated to the Sierra Club Foundation

Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA

Entering Fall

Who is ready for fall in the PNW? This transitional time of the year, though short, has some of the best color palettes. Golden larches, orange and red shurbs, grey granite and blue-white snow all come together in a wonderful symphony of colors. And even though I sometimes wish it can stay like this year around, it is the fleeting nature of the colors that make it special.

Hope you get to enjoy the colorful foliage this time of the year. Check out WTA for ideas on where to go.

Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA

Light on the Larches

When I travel outdoors, I am constantly surprised by how life clings on to the barest of environments. While I struggle to grow potted plants indoors, I have found both colorful shrubs and towering trees grow in the tiniest nooks and crannies without any additional help.

Such as this group of larches showing off their golden coat amidst the stark rocky landscape of the eastern Cascades.

Okanogan Wenatchee National Fores
WA USA

Golden Honor

Seems like just yesterday I was hiking through a larch forest in peak fall foliage. I spied endless mountain slopes covered in resplendent gold, glowing in the morning sun under a crisp autumn sky.

How is it that six months have passed already?

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA

The Endless Larches

High up in the dry eastern ranges of the North Cascades lie groves of larches that put on a spectacular show every fall. It requires a bit of effort to get into the hinterlands, but once up here, you are greeted with views of endless larches. These conifers, which covering every alpine slope above a certain elevation, change to a brilliant yellow, and flow like golden lava over the rocky landscape.

While climbing over one such mountain pass in this area, I came across this grand vista of the larches showing off their peak autumnal shade. And nestled amidst the golden valley was a blissful alpine alpine pond. Surrounded by a marsh of drying grass, the lake was shrunken from its summer days but still was a pleasant sight for sore eyes.

I could not get over the tranquility of this silent morning, disturbed by nothing but the wind rustling through the golden needles. But I knew this wouldn't last forever. In a few more days, those larches will be bare, waiting for the arrival of spring to sprout again.

Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA

Golden Sunrise

Waking up to freezing temperatures, and layering up in the dark to hike up a mountain on a cold morning isn't my idea of fun, but I realized that is what it takes to capture the grand show of colors put up by the vast grove of larches this side of Washington. It was my final morning of the 3-day backpack and my arms and legs were getting sore. I wasn't very hopeful for colors, especially since I heard the winds howl through the night, racing down from the mountains.

Thankfully, as I stepped out, I noticed that the trees had persevered, and most of the needles were still hanging on. I started climbing in the dark, scouting for compositions just as the eastern sky was starting to light up. A few minutes later, I had reached my intended destination for shooting the sunrise. In a few moments, the sun came up from behind the distant hills, lighting up the golden larches in a blaze of fiery glory. As I watched, the glow progressed down the slope towards the lake, and eventually encircled it. The deep red color slowly changed to a vibrant orange and finally turned gold, for which this trail is named after.

I caught this composition just around the moment the glow had spread through the vast bowl covered with larches. And not a moment too soon - the sun disappeared behind a large patch of clouds never to be seen for the next few hours.

Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA